Thank You
by SabakuNoYoukai
Summary: Thank you. Nobody had ever said those words to him, and he'd convinced himself that nobody ever would- but when an accident ends with him saving Miss Ritchi's life, Megamind can't help but wonder if the other things he'd never dared to consider just weren't as impossible as he seemed to think. (Rating may increase)
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: I don't own Megamind  
_  
This idea has been rolling around in my head for a while now, and I finally figured I'd actually get it all written down. I don't know if I'll be able to keep to any sort of schedule, this is the first time I've actually tried to write a full fanfiction before, so I'm sorry if I make ya'll wait too long =x Criticism is encouraged! Don't hold back, I'm not an easy person to upset ;p Thank you for your time!

* * *

_'Is this it?' _A sadness swept over her as the chill of the water pricked at her skin.

The day had started out as any other would. She woke up groggy, dressed for work, recorded a segment on the pretty crimes in the warehouse district, and illusively dodged Hals constant barrage of… well… _Hal_. It wasn't until after the cameraman had dropped her off in front of her townhouse that they had managed to whisk her away, the light hiss of the knock out spray the last thing she remembered before her body gave out beneath her.

_'If I had agreed to go get that cup of coffee with Hal… would I still be here now?'_ She wondered, squinting up through the cloudy water as slowly sank. Yes, she figured, she most likely would—Megamind would not have given up so easily.

She resisted the urge to expel the last of the air with a sigh. Would the man ever admit defeat? She had lost count of just how many times she had been taken captive by the blue alien long ago, and with it her fear. He and his aquatic partner had never actually hurt her before—in fact, she was pretty sure he'd pushed back the timer for her 'demise' a few of times when Metro Man actually had trouble finding them.

It really was just one giant game, wasn't it?

'_And somehow I became a piece of it.' _She felt the weight below her settle at the bottom of the river, just as her lungs began to burn. She had never been able to hold her breath for long, and a slight panic suddenly set in as she tugged at the ropes that bound her. How had it come to this? She wasn't really sure what had happened.

She had awoken to find herself dangling over the edge of an old dock, the dark water below her rippling as she tested her bonds. The familiar voice of her kidnapper drifted to her ears as he and Minion finished the last minute preparations for the day's grand scheme, and when he had finally come around to see her staring at him with a raised eyebrow, he greeted her with his usual smirk and flourish.

He cackled as he revealed his ingenious plan to rid the city of 'Metro Mahn' once and for all, and she couldn't hold back the smart quip to fuel their own witty banter while they waited for his Brainbots to position themselves around the city. After Minion had signaled that everything was ready, he left her with a smirk and threw a comment back over his shoulder—"You better hope your boyfriend is smart enough to follow the clues, Miss Ritchi, or I'm afraid you'll be sleeping with the fish tonight!"— before beginning his broadcast to issue his challenge throughout the city.

It really was just like any other day.

And then an explosion rocked the old docking warehouse.

She had just enough time to gasp in surprise before her body suddenly dropped the last few feet and slipped beneath the surface of the river.

Her first instinct had been to struggle and scream, but she prided herself on being a level-headed person, and she knew such a foolish act would only guarantee the end of her life that much quicker. So she just held still, her heart pounding away in her chest as she continued to sink, concentrating on the muffled _plops_ of items raining down into the water above her.

Which left her here, trapped beneath the loading docks, the fire in her lungs growing as she ceased her struggles against her bindings. _'This is it,'_ she mourned,'_this is how I die.' _The thought was frightening, and a string of bubbles escaped between her lips with a huff of disbelief. _'Drowned in a river. How long will it take them to find me?'_ She shut her eyes, unsure whether the sting behind them was from the musty water or from tears. It felt like an eternity has passed, but she knew she had probably been underwater for barely even a minute before the burning sensation finally overwhelmed her, and with a sob the last of her oxygen escaped.

Only to be replaced.

She started in surprise when an arm circled her waist, another cupping her face to draw her into a firm kiss before she felt the air being forced into her mouth. It took a second to process just what was happening, but when she finally did she greedily breathed in the recycled air with whimper of relief, trying her best not to flinch away from the strange sensation of hot damp air rushing down her throat. _'I'm going to live. I'm not going to die.'_ It was a mantra repeating in her head until she finally pulled away from the air source, relieved that the burning in her lungs had subsided.

He had reached her in time, she thought with relief. Of course he had! She never should have doubted him! There was no way he hadn't heard the explosion, and with his super speed it would have only taken him seconds to locate the warehouse and see Megamind and the broken robe and piece together what had happened. _'He really is a hero,'_ she thought, her eyes slowly opening to cast a grateful smile towards her savior— Only to have them widen in shock and her thoughts promptly derailed.

Emerald eyes stared back at her first in worry and then relief before he used the arm around her waist to pull himself down to the ropes at her feet. She lost track of what happened after that, too shocked to really follow anything as her mind raced.

"-chi? Miss Ritchi?"

She jumped, suddenly aware that she was standing on solid ground, her legs and arms completely unbound as someone settled a warm blanket over her shoulders and rubbed at her arms. "W-What?" She stammered, hands lifting to clasp the silky material around her before she realized it wasn't a blanket, but a cape. A very _familiar_ cape. "Mega… mind?" She felt the hands on her withdraw immediately, and she raised her eyes from the black and blue fabric to find him standing before her, looking small and miserable as water dripped from his ruined leather.

"Are you alright, Miss Ritchi?" He asked softly, and she suddenly felt the familiar sting of tears behind her eyes as everything suddenly came rushing back to her. What had happened? What caused the explosion? Why did the rope snap? Another voice spoke beside her—"I think she's in shock, Sir."—but she didn't hear, her mind was too focused on the fear she had felt as the last of the air in her lungs slipped from her body and…

"I almost died," she whispered, and whatever the two were in the midst of saying was cut short as they turned to stare at her with wide eyes. "I… I almost died," she repeated, louder, her voice breaking as a tear finally spilled over an eyelid and down her cheek. "I almost died, and you… you saved me." She looked at him then; the bright green eyes that stared back almost looking scared as lifted his hands, mouth silently moving as he grasped at something to say.

She didn't wait to hear what he might have come up with; instead, she launching herself across the few feet that separated them to wrap her arms around his chest, her face tucking against the side of his throat. She felt his entire body stiffen, his arms rising up away from her as she clung to his wiry form. In the back on her mind she realized that the blue man had probably never received an actual hug before, and she was most likely overstepping a major boundary of personal space, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

He started talking then— she wasn't sure what about, exactly, but the deep vibrations that rumbled through his chest with each word were comforting and calming and she found herself sighing in relief as the noise parade in her head began to die down.

"Miss Ritchi?" Her muscles twitched at the cool touch of metal against her forearms, and Minions hesitant voice continued, "I think… You're making Sir a bit nervous, Miss Ritchi, so if you could just…?" She nodded slightly to show she heard, her nose gently brushing against the soft blue of Megamind's neck (_'Did he just gasp?'_) and allowed the fish to pull her back away from his frozen charge.

She waiting until she had backed up several feet before she murmured a soft "Sorry," and turned to look up at the hesitant face of Minion as he let go of her arms. "Can I go home, please?"

"You're alright then, Miss Ritchi?" He asked, and she nodded and she turned to face him, a small smile tugging at her lips in response to the tooth-showing smile he flashed her. "Alright, I'll just go fetch the knockout spray and then I'll drive you home. Please wait here," and he was shuffling off toward a row of computers before she could reply. It didn't take long before he was back, the spike-adorned can in hand and an explanation on his lips, "Terribly sorry, Miss Ritchi, but we can't have you seeing the inside of the invisible car," but she was only half listening as she turned to look back at Megamind.

He was still standing where she had hugged him, an unreadable expression on his face as he stared at the ground, one hand raised to touch where her face had been pressed against his neck.

"Megamind?" She ventured softly, and he raised face to stare at her, his expressive brows coming together in curiosity at the question in her voice. She stared for a moment as Minion shook the can beside her, and she saw his mouth beginning to open to ask what she wanted when she let a smile spread across her lips.

"Thank you."

She didn't see his reaction as her vision blurred, but she heard a quick intake of breath before everything went black.


	2. Chapter 1 : Thought

_Disclaimer: I don't own Megamind!_

Alright, here's the first chapter! It's a retelling of the prologue, but from our favorites guys' perspective so you can see just how the events played out and affected them! I'm not sure if I'll keep switching between their thoughts and Roxanne's like this, I'll just have to see how the story writes itself. Thank you for your time! And please let me know what you think!

* * *

"What is taking so long, Minion?" Megamind complained, propping his feet up on the dashboard of the invisible car as he threw his arms up over his face in frustration. It had almost been an hour since Miss Ritchi usually gets home from work. An HOUR! And she still had yet to show! "This is ridiculous! All this time, wasted! Why didn't you come get her on your own?"

"Well, Sir, I did suggest that you stay behind and finish up th-"

"I could be working on the Electricoil right now! It could have been done!"

"-Yes, well, like I said Sir-"

"Electricoil? Is that a good name Minion? What do you think? Is it Eeevil enough?"

The fish rolled his eyes at his charges dramatic movements, but couldn't help the toothy grin that seemed to split his face in half. "I'm sure it will strike fear in the hearts of all who hear it, Sir!" He boasted, and did a small flip in his bowl when Megamind playfully punched at the furry shoulder of his suit.

"You know just what to say, you fantastic fish, you! Ah!" He suddenly lurched forward, his leather boots barely missing several of the nobs and switches and he lowered them back down to point out the windshield. "There, Minion! The news van! Quickly, get the spray!"

"Right away, Sir!" He reached down between their seats to retrieve the blue canister, shaking it as he continued, "I usually pull her through the window and put her in the passenger seat, Sir, but since you're here this time we'll-" He trailed off as at Megamind's nonchalant wave, and watched in surprise as the blue alien crawled over the his seat and into the back.

"Just get her before she goes inside and pass her back to me, I'll tie her up while you drive."

_'Ah, so that's why he came along,'_ Minion thought with a grin, _'she's going to be hanging from the crane today, so boss wants to make sure she's tied up in a way that won't cause unnecessary strain.'_

He put the car in gear and crept up behind the van as it pulled along the curb, keeping a close eye on Roxanne as she exited the passenger side and walked around the to the sidewalk. She paused near the driver's window to say a few things, her face scrunching up in an awkward expression as she shook her head with a tiny smile, politely declining whatever it was her cameraman had asked before waving him away.

"Now, Minion! While before she gets away!" Megamind pushed, and he rolled his window down as he approached, a quick spray to the face all that was needed before he easily pulled her through the window and turned in his seat to gently pass her back into awaiting leather arms.

He made sure Sir had her leaned against one of the back doors securely before turning forward again taking off towards today's location—an old warehouse that only a couple of blocks away from the Evil Lair. Megamind hadn't liked the idea of setting up so close to their base, but it was the only warehouse large enough to house the Electricoil, and the old cranes used to unload docked ships just outside was the perfect set up for another 'life threatening' situation for Miss Ritchi.

He was just pulling into an old alleyway to hide invisible car when he heard a triumphant "Ah-ha!" from the backseat.

"All finished, Sir?" He turned off the car and swam around in his bowl to peer into the back to see his Boss scrutinizing his work, gently tugging on the coiled loops of rope to make sure they were sufficiently tied.

"Hmm, yes, it should do. All we have to do now to string her up and attach a weight to the rope on her ankles. If you would, Minion! I must check on the Brainbots work while we've been gone!" and with that, he quickly made his exit and set off at a jog towards the back door to the warehouse.

Left with his orders, the fish clambered out of the car and slowly opened the door Roxanne was leaning against, catching her as she sagged toward the ground. Without any trouble at all, he gently situated her against his one of his shoulder pads before starting after his boss, humming one of his favorite songs along the way.

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

"No, 326! Not yet!" Megamind all but screeched, the aforementioned Brainbot freezing in place as he turned his red eyestalk towards Daddy with a timid _Bowg?_

"You can't put the power source in until everything is absolutely ready! There's no telling what would happen!" He explained, snatching the glowing blue cube from its mechanical pincers. "It must also be rehydrated before you put it in, and _completely dry_" he stressed, a single finger pointing directly into the glowing eye of 326, "do you understand?" The cyborg nodded, reaffirming his understanding with a 'Bowg Bowg' before flying off to assist the others in finishing up.

"Well, that could have been disastrous!" He threw his arms up in exasperation before turning towards the dock to see how his partner was coming along.

"And what about you, Minion? Did you find something to keep her from swinging around in the wind?" He asked, approaching with a bounce in his step to admire his handiwork as the fish gently lowered the weight down into the river.

"Yes, Sir! I found an old sandbag out on one of the docks. It seemed like the better choice over a concrete brick."

His boss hummed in thought before nodding, "Yes, I suppose you are right. Good call, Minion! Now, come help me triple check everything before we power her up!" His emerald eyes stole one last glance up towards his favorite—well, his _only_—captive before he turned and walked back through the open bay doors.

"You're sure everything over there is done?"

"Absolutely, Sir!"

"Not a single wire is out of place?"

"Not One!"

"Very well then, group C!" Megamind called out into the air, one long arm rising to snap loudly over the constant hum of the warehouse. A large pack of Brainbots scurried through the air to reach him first, excitingly hovering about him as he smiled, awaiting their orders.

"Yes, yes, who's a good group of cyborgs? Are you? Yes you are!" He cooed, letting his fingers run down the lids of a few of the bots and they vied for his attention. "Now, you all remember where Daddy told you to go?" A chorus of _Bowgs_ answered him. "Alright then, go on! Show me you remember! And don't forget to send a signal back to us when you are in position!" He called after them as they all dispersed, each heading to a popular monument or plaza in the city.

"Keep an eye on the screen Minion, let me know when group C is all in position!" Was all he said before walking out the bay doors to find a two cerulean eyes staring at him, one plucked eyebrow raised up to hide behind disheveled bangs.

"Well, well, well, Miss Ritchi," he lowered his voice, drumming his fingers together a couple of times before opening his arms in a flourish. "We meet again." He faltered slightly as she snorted in response to his greeting, but he covered it up by swishing his cape behind him as he turned and stalked along the edge of the dock.

"You won't be laughing for long, Miss Ritchi! No, soon you will be screaming for Mr. Goody-two-shoes when my Electricoil ensnares him in its web of lightning!" He let out a rolling laugh before turning to face her head on, one hand pointing up at her. "And you'll be powerless to do anything but watch as I rid Metrocity of its precious Metro Mahn once and for all!"

"You do know he's been hit by lightning before, don't you?" Her voice quipped back, a knowing smirk tilting one side of her sassy little mouth.

His brows furrowed momentarily before he responded, "Yes, but this is so much more than puny little lightning. You think Mother Nature could hold anything to one of my inventions?" He bragged, his head tilting down as he stared up at her with best eeevil smirk.

She attempted to blow her bangs away from her eyes before shooting back, "She certainly had you beat when it came to your earthquake generator."

"That was a malfunction!"

"And that sad excuse for a typhoon?"

"Metro Mahn destroyed it before it could get warmed up!"

"Oh, and what about the one that was supposed to manipulate the earth into creating a super volcano out in the bay?"

"I'll have you know that the science for that one was completely right!"

"So it didn't work… why?"

"It turns out you can't just force the earth to create a volcano spone-taineously. Just coax it along… give it a decade or two and you'll see!"

Her eyes actually widened at that one before she let her head fall forward against her chest in an attempt to hide her laughter, although the slight shaking of her shoulders was all he needed to know that he had amused her. Normally her laughter would have put a damper on his spirits, since she usually only laughed when she had managed to best him with her little word games, but today he just smiled up at her until Minion caught his attention with a thumbs up.

Turning away, he twisted his wrist in the air and called back to her with a mocking tone—"You better hope your boyfriend is smart enough to follow the clues, Miss Ritchi, or I'm afraid you'll be sleeping with the fish tonight!"

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

"Brainbots in position, Sir. Everything is ready to broadcast, and 326 is preparing to install the power source." Minion relayed to him as he approached the small station they had set up for his challenge, tucked away in the back corner of the warehouse near the bay doors so they could quickly step outside when the switch was thrown to trap Metro Man.

"Very good, Minion, you can wait outside. Behind the next warehouse over, if you would, just in case Metro Mahn does elude us once more."

The fish nodded happily, a giant smile on his face as he turned to exit the building. Sir always asked him to lay low whenever the plans started, so that he would be the only one carted off to jail if things took a turn for the worse— which, of course, they usually always did.

He thought he'd heard a frightened yell as he neared his goal, and had just managed to trot into the shadow of the neighboring building when an explosion knocked his mechanical feet out from beneath him, the bright flash of light momentarily blinding him as he attempted to right himself in his small tank.

"Sir?!" He called worriedly, forcing the gorilla body back up onto two legs as he blinked the spots away from his vision.

When he could finally make out the black smoke that billowed out from the bay doors he had just left his boss within he set out at a panicked run.

"Sir! Are you alright? Sir?!" He could see the remaining Brainbots working fast to quell any fires the blast had started, and rounded the corner of the warehouse to see Megamind with his cape thrown up over his head, hunkered down behind the communications station.

"Oh, Sir, thank the evil gods. What happened?"

"326 rehydrated the power core, but when he went to get a towel to wipe it down, 518 came along and just stuck it into the Electricoil!" He shouted in explanation, taking Minions offered hand to pull himself up before dusting himself off and surveying the damage. "The damage doesn't look too bad; we'll have to rebuild the main coil though, it's been completely blown apart."

He raised his voice, then, twisting around to meander through the black smoke and out the doors behind them as he called out,"No need to fear, Miss Ritchi, everything is under control!"

Silence greeting him, and he batted his hands at the smoke in a futile attempt to clear it before he stepped out into the open to be greeted by—"MINION?!"

The fish came running out to his side, his mouth opening to ask what was wrong before his eyes turned up to settle on the severed rope that had once held their hostage above the cool river water.

"A piece of shrapnel must have severed the rope!" He guessed, then gasped as his vision suddenly went black. He flailed about in panicked confusion before he managed to pull the dark fabric of Megaminds cape off of his dome just before he heard a deep gasp and the splash of a body diving into the river.

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

_'Hang on, Roxanne,'_ he thought, squinting down through the murky water as he swam, a small trickle of bubbles down below catching his attention as they raced their way up to the surface. _'There!'_

His own heart was pounding in his chest by the time she came into view, and he worried he was too late as he approached until he saw a much larger torrent of air force its way from her lungs. _'That's not good, she needs oxygen! She won't last until I get her to the surface!'_ His mind blanked before he suddenly remembered something he saw in a movie, and he quickly pulled himself to her and pressed his lips against hers.

She had stiffened slightly at the sudden contact, but when she felt him force a steady stream of air into her mouth she relaxed and readily accepted it with a soft whimper.

He let her take what she needed—his lungs were far superior to a humans, after all. The fact that his only friend happened to be a fish helped as well—before he pulled away from her, his large brain choosing that exact moment to remind him that he'd just pressed his lips against Roxanne Ritchi's.

Flustered by the thought, he didn't notice the smile that graced her lips before it suddenly dropped in lieu of an expression that seemed to lean more towards 'impossible disbelief' when she finally opened her eyes to look at him. He stared back, worry suddenly clouding his mind at what her reaction might be before he sighed (in his mind, of course) in relief when he realized she wasn't going… what? He wasn't exactly sure what she would do, but situations in the past made him weary of her… she had a good right hook.

_'Right, gotta cut the rope!' _He used the arm around her waist to propel himself down near her feet, and fumbled to draw a small knife tucked away inside one boot. He let the sheath tumble from his hand as he concentrated on sawing through the thick bindings at her feet, the knife soon following to the bottom of the river as soon as he cut through the last stubborn strands. _'Hang on, almost there.'_ He kicked his way back up toward the surface, one arm snaking back around Roxanne's waist as he passed, and swam as fast as his leather boots would let him.

They broke the river's surface with a gasp, and a worried shout of 'SIR!' was all Megamind needed to gage which way to swim before he gently pulled her through the water towards where Minion waited on the dock, long mechanical arms stretching down to lift them up out of the water.

"Is Miss Ritchi alright, sir? Are YOU alright?" He fretted, gently settling Roxanne on her knees before reaching down retrieve his boss.

"Yes, yes, Minion, I'm fine. I think she might be in shock, though," he murmured, instantly turning to unravel the rope that still bound her hands behind her back. "Are there any towels or blankets in the car, Minion?" He asked, water practically pouring from his leather gloves.

"No, sir, I do not think so. The lair is just a couple blocks away though, I could run over there real-"

"No, Minion, that would take too long. Fetch my cape!" Finished with the last knot, he threw the length of rope to the side before he gently grasped her wrists and pulled her up onto her feet.

"Miss Ritchi? Are you alright? Can you hear me, Miss Ritchi?" He coaxed, his voice low and calm as he slowly walked the silent woman away from the edge of the dock.

Minion reappeared at her shoulder with his cape in hand, and he let her arms drop back to her waist as he took the silky fabric from his partner, hesitating slightly after he shook it out before he slowly raised it up and brought the thick shoulder pads down over her head. The sudden weight on her shoulders seemed to get through to her, and he reached out to rub her arms through the cape as he called out her name again.

"W-What?" She muttered, her lashes fluttering in confusion as her hands wrapped around the edges of his cape, eyes turning down to stare at the black fabric. A couple of seconds passed before he heard a tiny gasp, followed by "Mega… mind?"

Realizing that his hands were still touching her, he snatched them back as quick as he could, and took a step back (just to be on the safe side) as she raised her wide eyes to stare at him, before venturing a soft "are you alright, Miss Ritchi?"

They watched as her eyes darted about to take in her surroundings before focusing on him again, a sudden glossy sheen appearing over the cobalt orbs.

"I think she's still in shock, Sir," Minion suggested, a frown marring his usually happy countenance as he watch the water slowly gather along her eye line.

"I think you're right, Minion. What do we do? I don't know how to deal with… with…" unable to come up with a suitable word, he just gestured at her with a sweep on an arm.

"Well, sir, I'm sure we could—"

"I almost died."

She had whispered the words, but they both had heard and their conversation immediately halted as they both turned to stare at the woman as she repeated the statement, her voice cracking as tears finally began to streak down her already wet cheeks.

"I almost died, and you… you saved me."

Megamind saw her focus back on him in that moment, and he suddenly found himself panicking as those blue eyes stared at him with an expression so pitiful he didn't know what to do.

_'What do I say? What do I do? I'm not the Hero!' _His hands lifted in a sign of defeat, a habit that was hard to break when you were used to gesturing wildly as you spoke, and then suddenly she was moving toward him. He froze in place, his eyes sliding shut in a wince as he waited for the sudden stinging of a slap or a swift punch, and then snapped back open in surprise when he felt her arms wrap around his chest.

He had to remind himself to breath as her face settled against bare neck.

"Minion!" He managed to squeak out before taking a deep breath of air, his green eyes pleading as he stared into the eyes of his friend.

"Minion, I can't—her skin—my neck—touching— can't think—soft— Minion_ PLEASE,_" he begged, his arms drifting as far away from her sides as they possibly could. He saw the robotic suit shuffle behind Roxanne before he managed to persuade the woman to release him, but not before her nose skimmed lightly along the skin at his neck. _'Oh my!'_ He didn't think it possible, but his body stiffened even more, and he gasped slightly at the unfamiliar contact before a shiver ran down his spine.

He really didn't remember much after that, too lost in his own thoughts as he raised an arm up to gently press his fingers along the path her nose had grazed. _'That was… she was… soft. Is skin always that soft to the touch?'_ his eyes focused on his leather gloves.

He wore them because the thickness protected him, yes, but they also had a secondary use; he didn't want to touch anything. Well, not _things_ so much as _people_.

Why should he willingly touch those who would never dare think of touching him, just because he was different? _'And yet…'_ his fingers pressed in at his neck again, _'and yet she didn't care. She had actually… hugged me. She let her own skin touch mine without a second thought. Is she not bothered by the fact that I'm so different?' _His thick brows furrowed. _'No, it was just an accident. She's still in shock. If I took off a glove and reached for her with my blue skin, she'd flinch away, just like everyone else.'_

"Megamind?"

The soft call of his name snapped him from his thoughts, and he raised his face to look at her as soon stood beside Minion. He waiting for her to continue, his eyes searching hers for some clue as to what she wanted, and just when he was about to cave in and ask, she smiled. The breath rushed out of his lungs as stared, _'That's not a fake smile. Not sarcastic, or haughty, or superior. That's an actual smile. For me.'_ He could feel the corners of his own mouth beginning to turn up in in a timid response when her lips parted and she spoke again.

"Thank you."

His entire body jumped at those two words, and he couldn't stop the loud gasp as he stared, her body collapsing down into one of Minion's waiting hands as the knock out spray took effect. The fish seemed just as surprised, though, and his wide brown eyes glanced from the woman in his grip to where Megamind stood frozen as the decked out can dropped out of his hand.

"Sir! She just… Sir, she just _thanked_ you!" He exclaimed.

"I heard," was his breathless reply, and suddenly his attention turned back to stare at his gloved hand.

"I never thought... I'd hear those words. Not from anyone other than you, Minion," he rambled quietly, barely registering the fish's reply of, "but Miss Ritchi has always been different, Sir."

"Yes," he agreed, "I suppose she has."

_'But she would still flinch away like everyone else… wouldn't she?'_


	3. Chapter 2 : Wake

_Disclaimer: As much as I might wish it, Megamind_ _does not belong to me_

Thank you for the reviews! I don't know how long this story will end up being, but I'll try to update at least once a week (although here in the beginning it will probably be more than that, since I'm in such a writy mood =P)

* * *

Megamind was back at the lair, a towel draped over his large cranium as he snatched various blueprints down from his web in hopes of finding some shortcut in rebuilding the main coil. He had stripped down to his plain black under suit, the flexible fabric still mostly dry, as his leathers sat in a growing puddle in a corner next to a small pile of twisted metal. He grumbled under his breath as he set some papers down on his workbench, a pent up sigh escaping between his blue lips as he cast a gloomy glance toward the remains of 518, one hand absently scratching at his neck. "You foolish little cyborg," he chastised gently before starting towards the remnants, "don't worry. Daddy will have you all fixed up in now time."

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

Miles away in downtown Metro City, Minion quietly pulled open the large balcony doors to Roxanne's townhouse. It had been an awkward, one-handed flight with Miss Ritchi draped across his shoulder, but he had somehow managed to set the hover bike down without causing any unnecessary damage to the masonry. Now, though, as walked across the wooden flooring towards her couch, he realized he had another problem. _'I can't just lay her down and go, she's wet. It would ruin her furnishings! And she could catch a cold! Oh, maybe I should have just blindfolded her instead of knocked her out…'_

"I need a towel," He decided, his fishy body turning full circle in his bowl as he took in his surroundings. _'Wow, she really likes the color red,_' he mused, noticing the vibrantly colored curtains that matched her living room set and rug. "But where do you keep your towels, Miss Ritchi?" He didn't notice anything that struck him as a closet or a bathroom door, but he did take notice of some bannisters and railing and started toward what he could only assume were stairs that led up to a second floor. "Terribly sorry for the intrusion," he murmured nervously as he ascended to the next landing, and found himself in the middle of a short hallway, two doors on his right, and one to his left. _'Guess I'll have to go by process of elimination.'_

He turned right first, peeking into the first door he passed to find what appeared to be a small workroom. Several bookcases lined the wall opposite him, a small table with a desktop and a plush chair shoved into one corner. _'One down,'_ he spared a glance towards the unconscious woman settled against him when she groaned before hesitantly starting towards the second door, and was relieved when he pushed it open to see white tiling. It didn't take him long to find where she stashed the linens, and was soon back downstairs with two overly fluffy bath towels in hand. "Here we go, Miss Ritchi," he smiled, laying one of the thick terry fabrics over her couch before he finally slid her down from his shoulder onto it, being sure not to let the spikes on Sir's cape catch on anything. _'Oh, I had forgotten she still had that!' _And he couldn't help the smile as he remembered his boss's voice— "No, Minion, leave it on her for now, it will protect her from the chill when you're flying."

He was reaching forward to tug the stiff leather shoulder pads over her head when she moved, and he could only watch as her face scrunched up in annoyance before she shifted against the towel with another groan. Her nose turned into the high collar of the cape and she curled slightly onto her side, one of her hands fisting in the black fabric beneath her before managing to pull it around her like a blanket. _'Oh, fish-scales!' _He gave an experimental tug to test her grip, and finding it unrelenting, sighed as he thought over his options.

He was too timid to just forcibly manhandle the garment off of her—Hell, the little fish felt bad whenever he had to throw over a shoulder. He'd tried to convince his boss to let him carry her in his arms (what did the humans call it? Bridal style?) But the alien had just scoffed and denied him, deeming it not eeevil enough. Unwilling victims were _always_ carried over the henchmen's shoulders, he had explained, that was just the way things worked.

He could stay and wait for her to wake, he mused. The idea struck a chord with him, because then he could make sure the human actually was alright, but he frowned at the idea of leaving his boss alone back at the lair for an undetermined amount of time. No, decided, wouldn't do. The brief thought of just taking Miss Ritchi back to the lair to watch over the both of them swam about his mind for a second before he pushed that notion away as well—Megamind would have a fit.

Which really only left him one choice. Testing her hold on the cape one last time, he smiled at the bizarre picture of the tiny woman wrapped in the familiar blue and black trademark before settling the second towel over her where she slept. _'Sir won't be happy, but I'll just send a Brainbot over tomorrow morning to collect it.'_

_O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O_

_'I smell leather and smoke,_' Roxanne mused as she stirred, wincing at the dryness of her mouth as she hesitantly swallowed. She wriggled the tip of her nose to find that while it was currently pressed up against something stiff, the surface was still smooth and soft on her skin, and she inhaled deeply. _'There's something else there, too; something different… It smells nice.' _Her eyelashes fluttered with the strain of opening them, and the heaviness of her limbs alerted her to the fact that she wasn't just waking up from an afternoon nap—she had become all too familiar with the tall tell signs of knockout spray.

But if she was kidnapped, why was she on her back? _'And unbound?'_ she added as an afterthought, finally gathering enough strength to test her arms and legs for restraints.

Curiosity peeked, she struggled to sit up as she finally opened her eyes, the blue orbs sweeping her surroundings hastily as her reporter skills took over, and she quickly became aware of several things;

1) She was, in fact, in her own living room. On her couch, no less, and… using a towel as a blanket?

2) A quick shift of position alerted her to her jeans sticking to her legs in a very unflattering and uncomfortable way, the lingering dampness in some spots alerting her to the fact that she had been wet at some point.

3) It was nighttime. What time exactly, she wasn't sure— _'I really need to put a clock in here,_'—but she could see the inky darkness beyond her balcony, where a very strange motorcycle-like vehicle was currently parked. Her mind faltered slightly at the sight of it, but the blue lightning accents made it quite easy to identify to whom the vehicle belong to.

And 4) Said owner was currently sitting at her kitchen island, his green eyes turned down to stare at the small teacup his unclothed blue fingers were currently curled around, the lack of steam from its surface letting her know that he'd been deep in thought for more than just a few seconds.

The sudden surprise of knowing she wasn't alone was enough to force a startling 'Oh!' from her lips, though, and suddenly she found those bright eyes staring directly at her.


	4. Chapter 3 : Touch

_Disclaimer: Megamind is not mine ;A;_

So in my own little world of imagination, I don't see Megamind ever really having direct skin-to-skin contact, and to me someone who's never been touched before (and never expected to ever be touched) would be very panicky about it. That's pretty much all I have to say xP Enjoy!

* * *

If there was one thing Minion was, it was observant, so when the fish settled the hover bike down on the floor of the lair (being extra careful not to accidentally nick the invisible car) and switched it off he was immediately aware of something that made him intensely wary.

Megamind was _snickering_.

_'Oh, what is Sir up to now?'_ he wondered as he started across the cold concrete floor, glimpsing his boss's skinny frame as it moved between the large storage shelves loaded with boxes. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance when he noticed several of the boxes he'd spent hours neatly labeling and placing weren't in their correct places, and went about reorganizing them as he called out loud, "Sir, _please_ put the boxes back in their designated spot when you are finished with them… and _what_ are you laughing about?"

He yelped in surprise when he pulled one of the boxes down to find wide, innocent eyes staring at him from the other side.

"I surely do not know what you are talking about, my fishy friend! And why must they have their own spots? I always remember where I put things!" By the time he had finished he had rounded the corner of the shelving, gesturing up towards his large blue head with one hand and a smirk on his face.

"I know, Sir, but I don't, and you send me to fetch pieces all the time while you're working."

He looked ready to retort, but instead paused and fingered the dark strip of hair on his chin, "Hmm, yes, I suppose that does make sense." He threw his arms up in defeat, "Fine, I'll follow your little system… for now, until I can think of something better!" And then he was sauntering off toward his work table, a half completed Brainbot chassis snuggled amongst several metal and electronic pieces he'd already pulled out of the boxes.

The two of them worked in silence after that, and it wasn't until Megamind finished detailing the last bit of flair on 518's new body that he turned and asked for the time. Minion squinted across an expanse of the lair to read the tiny red lights of their clock.

"It's just past nine 'o clock sir. May I ask why?"

A low grumbling answered him, and he watched as Megamind placed a hand on his stomach with a sheepish grin.

"Oh, we missed dinner! I guess I got too carried away trying to salvage your leathers to notice," and he smiled as the blue man just laughed, agreeing that they both got a bit too distracted. "Shall I go out and fetch something with the holo-watch, Sir?"

"No, no, you stay here and see if you can do anything with them, I'll go get us something. Maybe that bakery on 10th is still open!"

"Sir, you need to eat _actual_ food, not just sweets!"

"But Min-yoooon! Donuts and cake are so much better than everything else!" He countered, twisting his head down to look up into Minions eyes with a look of hope.

"Oh… fine," he paused at Megamind's whoop of triumph before continuing, "but _only_ if you get actual food as well!"

"Of course!" He snapped his fingers, and suddenly two Brainbots were there, helping him into his customary black and blue suit and a pair of old, tattered boots. "No gloves?" He pouted, and sighed at the _Bowg Bowg_ he got in response.

"Sorry, Sir, but this is the only pair of gloves at the moment, I hadn't gotten the time to make a back-up pair since the older ones caught fire."

He sighed again, but this one was much more theatrical and he rolled his eyes and heaved his shoulders, "_Fine_, but that's top priority. Now," he held one hand out, palm upward, "where is my cape, Minion?"

The fish— mechanical body and all—froze.

"Did you leave it on the back of the hover craft?"

A tiny, nervous laugh greeted him, "Well, sir, not… not exactly. You see, I _kind_ of _maybe_… sort have… well, you see…"

"Spit it out, Minion!"

"Miss Ritchi grabbed it in her sleep and I didn't want to wake her after what happened because she needs rest and she was holding it too tight to get so I just sort of left it there with her," he rushed out all in one quick spurt, and flinched when he noticed Megamind's brows lower.

"You _left_ my cape? With our hostage?" His arms sputtered about in the air beside him.

"I figured I could just send a Brainbot over to collect it tomorrow morning, Sir."

"But what if she doesn't give it back! What if our hostage holds my cape hostage? Or what if… Minion, what if she _ruins it_ out of _spite?!_" He clutched at his face in sheer horror at the thought.

"Oh, I don't think she'd do _that_ Sir! … Sir?" He watched as his boss turned swiftly on his heels and marched back towards the hover bike, his metal feet clicking against the floor as he followed. "Sir, where are you-"

"I'm going to get it back, of course!" He interrupted, swiftly mounting the bike in one fluid movement. "I refuse to leave something of mine in the hands of another!" He machine roared to life beneath him, and he paused briefly as he ascended.

"Oh, and could finish up 518? I already installed his personality; he just needs a power core. I forgot to grab one after you came in, earlier," and then he was flying forward through the fake wall.

"Of course, Sir!" He called after, his shoulders slumping a bit. _'Oh, I feel so bad… at least 518 is all fixed up, though,'_ and he turned and walked down an isle of shelving, and then suddenly he knew why Megamind had been snickering.

He rolled his eyes with a chuckle, previous sadness forgotten as he beheld his boss's antics.

The box that was once neatly labeled 'Brainbot Power-cores' sat before him, but the bold print had been hastily scribbled out with a black marker and replaced with _'Braaaaaaaaains'_ in red in Megamind's lilted cursive script.

_'Oh, Sir…'_

_O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O_

Good evil lord was he _cold_.

He rubbed at his arms as he slipped through the balcony doors into Roxanne's dark apartment, cursing his lack of gloves and cape and the sudden drop in temperature as summer came to an end. Shoving his pale fingers into his armpits, he crept forward and stared down at Miss Ritchi where she slumbered blissfully unaware. _'It's been hours! Minion must have used far too much gas if she's been out this entire time… ooooh, that fish!'_

It only took him a second to see that her fingers were indeed tangled in the softness of the silk, and he sighed. _'Minion was right, she probably does need to rest after almost dying…'_ a shiver suddenly wracked his entire body, and he frowned. _'I need something to warm up,'_ and with a though he raised his eyes up toward the kitchen and his lips pulled up into a smirk. "Well, don't mind if I do, Miss Ritchi!" He whispered before skipping towards the open kitchen to raid her cupboards mischievously.

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

He hadn't heard her waking up. He hadn't heard much of anything after he had fixed himself a steaming cup of tea—True Blueberry flavor, he'd chosen it with a quiet laugh— before losing himself to his thoughts halfway through it.

He hadn't really come to terms with the fact that she really _had_ almost died earlier that very day, and suddenly as he sat there thinking everything over, he found himself feeling… sad. A life of villainy without Miss Ritchi there to kidnap and banter with did not seem like a very enjoyable life at all. Not that his own life would continue if such a thing were to happen, he mused, sure that the muscle-bound hero would most definitely seek revenge if an accident did take his sassy girlfriend away from him.

And then suddenly there was a small gasp, and he found himself looking into the widened eyes of said sassy girlfriend.

They just continued to stare in silence, seconds ticking by, before she rose one delicately sculpted eyebrow and shot out, "Oh, yes, please Mr._ Frequent-Kidnapper_, just make yourself at home," sarcastically.

He scoffed in reply, pushing himself away from the island counter with a roll of his eyes as he started towards her, "I'm a _super villain_ Miss Ritchi— I don't _need_ your permission to make myself comfortable!"

"And just what, exactly, is our cities resident super villain doing in _my_ house," she bit back, struggling to kick the towel off her feet before she stood as well, marching around the red sofa to confront him.

"I came to retrieve what is _mine!_ Now," he shoved one hand out toward her, and he noticed her eyes suddenly focus on his long blue fingers with surprise, "give it!"

The surprise quickly changed to curiosity, and suddenly her own hand shot out in an attempt to grab at his. He almost yelped as he snatched his arm back to his chest, backpedaling into the island as he retreated. _'What was that? Is she trying to hurt me?!'_ He relaxed slightly when he noticed she wasn't following after him.

"Wait, give you what?" She questioned, hands settling on her hips.

"My cape!" He all but shouted, pointing at her with narrowed eyes— '_I won't let her intimidate me!'—_ before he crooked his fingers at her in an impatient gesture. "Take it off!"

Her brows furrowed in confusion as his words sank in, and she cocked her head to one side and repeated, "Cape?" Another impatient wave of his arm had her raising her fingers to her chest, and she started when her nails clicked against the metal clasp at her clavicle. "Why… why am I wearing your _cape?_" She exclaimed, the pads of her fingers brushing against the high collar, spikes, and soft silk before she rounded on him again with an accusing glare, "_What did you do?!_"

He flinched at the growl in her voice, both hands shooting up in a show of peace and he slowly started to slide along the kitchen counter, "You don't… remember what happened this afternoon, Miss Ritchi?"

"Afternoon?" She parroted.

"The old docking warehouse…?" He pressed.

He watched her face scrunched in concentration, her unwavering gaze still suspicious as she let her mind turn in on itself, trying to recall the day's events until, "Oh!" Suddenly her expression slackened, and her blue eyes softened as she pressed one palm against her mouth. "I… I almost… and you…" the hand moved, and her fingertips slowly ran along her lower lip as her eyes began to well with tears.

"No! Stop! Miss Ritchi, I _FORBID_ you to cry!" His voice cracked slightly as he remembered what happened on the docks, and he backed himself around the kitchen island just to have something solid between them.

Instead she tittered airily before wiping at her eyes with a scoff, "Sorry, but it's kind of a normal human reaction to, you know, _almost dying_. That's not really an everyday thing."

He was about to open his mouth to argue when she continued, "Oh, please, I know you had no intention of actually hurting me despite everything you threatened me with. Even today, you said I was going to swim with the fish, but when I actually did go under you… you saved me."

Another moment of silence passed between them, and then suddenly she seemed to make up her mind as she started towards him with a purposeful stride, only to pause when she saw him noticeably recoil when she raised her arms. "It's… I… I'm not going to _hurt_ you."

He peeked up at her through his arms—both raised up to protect his head—wearily. "You-You're not?"

"No! I… I wanted to _Thank_ you."

There was a look of wonder on his face as his arms lowered, and then he grinned, "Well can you blame me? All other instances involving you approaching my person usually end up with me in pain." He rubbed on hand over his jaw in reminiscence.

She giggled, smiling softly in return as she shook her head, "Well all the other times you deserved it. I was going to hug you… again… but I vaguely remember you panicking?"

He shrugged, his arms up in the air as he retorted with sarcastic humor, "What can I say, Miss Ritchi? While I am well aware of my incredibly handsome vi-sauge," he threw her a well-practiced smirk that she responded to with a huff of amusement, "my pure evilness has always kept others at bay. People don't exactly line up down the street for a chance to touch me," his countenance switched then, easily transitioning into a pitiful pout, "The only person willing to throw themselves at me is your muscle-headed boyfriend."

He couldn't hold the expression long, though, as she laughed at his antics, and soon he found himself smiling back at the woman that stood a few feet from him, completely relaxed.

Of course, that didn't stop him from automatically stepping back when she took another step towards him.

"I appreciate the thought, but I really am not used to touch, so your hugs are a bit too much," he sighed at the truth, and she looked thoughtful for a moment before holding of her hands out.

"How about a handshake then?"

_'A handshake?'_ he pondered curiously, a bit disappointed in such a formal reward, but at the same time he knew it was safe and his own arm reached out in turn, "I suppose it shall do for now, Miss Ritch—EEEEEEEE?!" His sentence turned into a high pitched screech of surprise as their hands came together, the foreign softness and warmth of her skin on his immediately reminding him of the fact that _he wasn't wearing gloves_.

He forced his breath to stay even and quelled his want to rip his hand away from her as she stared at him in first in surprise at his outburst, and then in understanding when her blue eyes focused once again on his lithe blue digits, before softly inquiring, "Is this the first time someone's touched your skin?"

"No!" He bit out defiantly as he stiffened.

"Maybe," he quickly followed, his eyes darting down to stare at the floor.

"… Yes?" he finished softly, eyes uncertain when they rose to look at her again.

Roxanne just smiled sadly—_'I can't imagine what it must be like'—_before gently tugging his hand a bit closer to her, her curiosity getting the best of her as she twisted his arm so she could gently run the fingers of her second hand across his palm as she examined it. She felt him shiver slightly at the touch.

"Is it too much?" She asked, her eyes widening when she glanced back up to notice a dark purple hue on his high cheekbones. _'Is he BLUSHING?'_ That thought alone— of the Great Megamind, the Master of All Villainy, flustered and blushing as she held his hand— was enough to make her snicker.

"Yes. No. Maybe? I don't know. Can't stop thinking." He prattled quickly, and she released his hand slowly, watching as he just continued to stare at it as several emotions flitted across him face.

"Perhaps you should… sit down?" She suggested, and he nodded and he whispered to himself beneath his breath as he brushed past her to walk back into the living room and plop down onto her sofa. She followed at a slower pace, gently pulling his cape up over her head after she caught her reflection in her balcony windows, amused by the fact that it was so comfortable she hadn't even realized she was wearing it.

He jumped when she set it on his lap, finally coming back from wherever he had let his mind wonder as he blinked down at the reason he had ventured here in the first place.

"Today was full of firsts for you, wasn't it?" Roxanne asked lightly, brows rising when he turned those bright emerald eyes up towards her, the question obvious. "First hug, first actual handshake, first heroic act," she felt her own cheeks heat up slightly as she tapped a nail to against her lips, "first kiss?"

His jaw unhinged in shock before his entire face colored brilliantly, and he waved his arms about as he reasoned, "N-No! That wasn't a _kiss_! You needed _air_!"

She hummed in agreement, "Yes, I suppose you're right." And suddenly a wicked thought was crossing her mind as she observed him flailing about nervously on the cushion before her. _'It IS a perfectly acceptable form of thanks… especially in regards to life-saving... Oh, I wonder how he'd REACT.'_

He failed to notice as she bent forward.

The soft touch of one of her hands on his cheek caused him to freeze, his eyes opening wider than they ever had before.

The silken press of her lips against his cheek had him sucking in as deep of a breath as his lungs could handle.

And when she pulled away to look into his eyes and whisper 'Thank You' to him once more, the words filled with more gratitude and sincerity than he'd ever received in his entire life up until that point…

He fainted.


	5. Chapter 4 : Look

_Disclaimer : I don't own Megamind_

Aww, thank you all for your reviews! They make me feel all giddy xP I'm glad ya'll like it so far, I hope I can continue to amuse you ^w^

* * *

Megamind, criminal mastermind and super villain, had fainted.

_Fainted._

If the blue alien wasn't slumped over right there in front of her she would never have believed it to be possible.

_'And all it took was a kiss- on the cheek, no less.'_

Seconds ticked by in pure silence as she stared at his relaxed face, and then she couldn't stop the laughter that bubbled up from her throat when it finally sank in.

She didn't know just how long kneeled there on her rug, giggling uncontrollably like a teenager, but when she finally calmed down enough to wipe the tears from her eyes her sides ached and she found it hard to actually catch her breath.

_'I must be hysterical after everything that's happened today.'_

With one last titter she gently tugged at the damp purple towel still strewn across the cushions before she stared up at her unconscious guest in trepidation, her teeth worrying at her bottom lip as she forced herself to clearly think about her actions for the first time since she woke.

_'His neck will be awfully sore if I just leave him slumped forward like that, so I should lie him down across the couch… I can't just tip him over, though—his head might smack against the arm rest… but I don't want to manhandle him while he's out of it, not after he straight up told me he's uncomfortable being touched…'_

She mulled it over for a couple more minutes before deciding his comfort won over invading his personal space for a few seconds, and with a guilty sigh and a murmured "sorry," she reached out to gently cradle his large cranium in one hand as she lowered him down onto his side. The next few seconds were spent rearranging his gangly limbs into more comfortable positions, and when she was finally satisfied that he wouldn't wake up with any stiff muscles, she sat back down on the floor, pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapped her arms around them, settled her chin down on her knees, and _stared_.

Sure, she'd seen him hundreds of times in person, maybe even thousands—hell, she was pretty sure she'd spent more time with him in the last five years than she had with her actual family—but he was always flitting about the room, in and out of view, and she had never really gotten the chance to just look at him.

And she certainly wasn't going to pass up the opportunity now that she had it. Especially since she could do so up-close and without the embarrassment of him knowing she was looking at him.

She all but ignored his most defining feature, his overly large head was something she was so used to seeing that she hardly even noticed it anymore, and instead she scooted a bit closer so she could stare at his elongated face, resisting the urge to reach out and touch as she examined.

She found herself slightly envious at how flawlessly smooth his blue skin appeared to be, and she marveled at the natural rosy hue that dusted his cheeks and the tips of his ears—which, she noted, were also far longer than a humans. Her eyes traced the sharp angles of his chin and nose before she squinted at the shortness of his thick, dark lashes, thinking over how much larger and rounder his eyes were than hers when they were open, and the bright green eyes they framed.

_'I wonder what other eye colors his race has.' _A sudden sadness swept through her when she remembered what Wayne had once told her, and she corrected herself, _'…had.'_

She found herself staring at his facial hair next, the fine black hairs that made up his eyebrows and goatee looking far softer and lighter than should be allowed, and she almost rolled her eyes at herself—_'Look at me, getting jealous over an extraterrestrials eyebrows. Probably doesn't even have to pluck.'_

Without the spiked shoulder pads of his cape she noticed just how small his frame really was, and suddenly she found herself impressed with just how sturdy he was. He was always being thrown around during his battles, by both Metro Man and his own inventions, and he always managed to get up and walk away. _'I wonder if his bone structure is different. I wonder if he even has bones… maybe he's like a shark… Ooo! Maybe they evolved from something like a shark! That would explain the tough, blue skin… and Minion _is_ an intelligent fish…'_

She snorted at the tangent her brain had suddenly gone off on. _'Does he even know himself?' _The thought dampened her amusement, and she found herself at his chest, right where that blue skin disappeared beneath the tight fabric of his costume. _'He really isn't all that different…'_ Her eyes slid upwards, past his long neck, to settle on his lips—just as blue as the rest of his skin—and she remembered the rough pressure of them against her own beneath the water.

_'I made Megamind faint because I thought it would be funny to kiss someone who's never been touched…' _She turned her face down to her chest, her forehead against her knees, _'I'm horrible. What was I thinking?'_

She really didn't have much time to think, though, because the next thing she knew she'd nearly leapt out of her own skin as another voice—whispered and accompanied by a bit of static—reached her ears.

"_Sir?"_

Scrambling up from off the ground she turned around on the spot, searching for the owner of the voice, but found nothing. _'Did I imagine it?'_

There was a small stretch of silence before she heard it again, and her brows rose up beneath her bangs when she realized it was coming from Megamind. Or, at least, something _on_ Megamind.

She was knelt at the side of the couch, curiously looking over him for the source, when it spoke again—_"Are you alright, Sir?"—_ and she was able to zero in on his watch.

Unhooking it from his skinny wrist, she ran her fingers over the smooth surface, taking in the turn-style frame and numerous buttons. _'I'm… kind of afraid to push anything…'_ It _was_ Megamind's watch, after all.

The whispering static caught her attention once more, and she heard an exasperated sigh followed by _"Sir, are you ignoring me because I'm not using codes again?"_

By now it was rather obvious that it was Minion on the other end, worried about his boss. _'I need to tell him he's fine… it _is_ my fault he'd not back yet.' _Mind made up, she took a deep breath and quickly pressed one of the buttons, flinching when the front of the watch opened up and shot a strange blue light over her before just closing back up again.

Well, she wasn't dead, so whatever it was couldn't have been too bad, she figured.

_ "Fine. Code : Where are you, Sir?"_

She giggled at the ridiculousness of their so called 'codes' before tapping another one of the buttons down for a second. When nothing immediately happened, she pressed it again down again—this time holding it—and spoke, "Hello?"

The reply was almost immediate.

_"Who is this? Why do you have Sir's Watch?!"_

"It's Roxanne," she paused for a second before her lips pulled up into a smirk. "Code : I think I broke Sir."


	6. Chapter 5 : Awkward

_Disclaimer : Megamind is not mine -pout-_

Thank you all for your reviews ^w^ Now, at the pace I'm going, it's probably going to take a while for any sort of romance to bud between our two favorite characters, because they will get there! And of course there will be plenty of flirting along the way =P

* * *

_"Hello?"_

Minion's eyes narrowed in suspicion at the soft voice that cackled up to him.

He had finished working on Boss's leathers—he'd managed to save the gloves and de-gun holster, but the boots were beyond unsalvageable—when he noticed that the loud blue alien had yet to return from Roxanne's, and he couldn't help the pit of worry that began to twist in his stomach when he didn't get an immediate reply when he contacted the holo-watch.

And when he finally did get one…

Well, that voice was most decidedly _not Megamind._

His breath caught as the worry grew into dread, and "Who is this? Why do you have Sir's watch?!" He demanded.

_"It's Roxanne."_

A flood of relief.

_"Code : I kind of broke Sir."_

The dread was back, and before he actually had time to think his mechanical body was moving towards the invisible car, one hand snatching the keys from their cart as he passed.

Broke.

That single word seemed to echo through his mind, and he could feel the pressure of tears welling behind his eyes.

Sir was _broke_ and he wasn't there with him.

He failed to hear anything else as he sped out onto the street and towards downtown.

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

_"You're kidding?!" _

_A gasp. _

_"It's true! Sir was completely covered in the glue! It took _hours_ to get him all clean!"_

_"So he just thinks it's a brilliant idea and installs it on his gun? Why?"_

_"Hey, you can't say you'd _ever_ see something like that coming!"_

_Laughter._

Megamind stifles a groan as he comes to, silently testing his limbs and taking in his surroundings as the two voices nearby (he recognizes them as Minion and Roxanne almost immediately) filter through his thoughts and suddenly he's pushing himself up onto his elbows and peering over the back of the couch at them and without thinking— "You have a really nice laugh."

They were standing together in the kitchen, side by side as they tended to something—_'Are they cooking together?'— _before they turned at his groggy statement to stare at him in surprise.

Roxanne's "What did you say?" was nearly drowned out by Minion's "Sir, you're up!" but the fish still somehow caught the females question and answered, "He said you have a really nice laugh, Miss Ritchi."

_'Did I say that?'_ He wondered, and stared between the pair with a lazy smile on his mouth. He vaguely noted that Roxanne was staring at him with something akin wonder mixed with a tad bit of disbelief. _'What's her problem?'_

And then he realized her problem.

His large head always took a bit longer to get working after waking, much longer than what a human would consider normal, and as his green eyes stared across the room at Roxanne the fact that she was even there when he woke up sunk in through his 'morning daze' and his wide smile slowly transformed into a look of horror.

"Minon! Why is Roxanne in the Evil Lair?!" He groped at the fabric on his chest in an attempt to hide it, pausing in confusion when he noticed he was in his usual super villain garb and not his soft hazard pajamas.

The fish shuffled around the kitchen island to walk toward him, "This isn't the Evil Lair, Sir."

Silence.

"Minion! Why am I waking up somewhere other than Evil Lair? With Miss Ritchi?!" He rolled himself off of the couch and snatched his cape up from where he saw it sitting on the arm rest of the bright red sofa.

_'Cape…'_ he remembered, _'that's right, I came to Roxanne's to get my cape after Minion left it and she… touched me.'_ He gazed at a bare hand, remembering how soft her skin had felt against his, and then another memory caught his attention and—

"You _kissed_ me!"

The exclamation was enough to freeze all movement within the room, and the three of them just gaped silently at one another as the seconds ticked by. Minion was the first to move, slowly turning in his bowl to look at Roxanne with an open mouth to ask, "That's how Sir fainted? You _kissed_ him?"

"I _fainted_?"

Her cheeks flushed slightly as they both gawked, and she turned her head away before murmuring, "It was only on the cheek! As a reward for saving me! I didn't think he'd actually _faint_."

"No, wait, seriously— _I fainted?!"_

She threw a sheepish smile towards Megamind as he sputtered about, "Yeah. Sorry about that, by the way."

The blue man turned questioning eyes towards Minion for guidance, but the fish just shrugged helplessly.

_'I fainted! In front of Roxanne! …BECAUSE of Roxanne!'_

"Is there any way we can just forget today ever happened?" He groaned and ran both hands down his face in frustration. 

"I suppose we could try the Forget-Me Bomb again, Sir."

"Excellent! Wait, what do you mean _again_?"

"You don't remember when we tested it?"

"Yes... No… We tested it?!"

"Fellas," Roxanne commanded attention, smirking when they both turned towards her. "Honestly I'd rather not forget. And I promise I won't tell anyone how easy it is to render you catatonic, Megamind."

Her eyes glinted with mirth at his scowl, and he suppressed the childish urge to stick his tongue out at her.

"Now," she continued, "come here, sit down, and eat." She placed a plate and silverware down on the counter with a smile, gently pushing it towards him. "Minion said you hadn't gotten dinner, and since all my other tries at thanking you have failed, I figured the least I could do was cook you something. He said that you liked sweet things, so—"

"Minion!" He cut her off to snap at his friend, "Stop telling Miss Ritchi everything about m—are those pancakes?"

She laughed at how quickly the alien's mood could change, and nodded as she turned around to fetch her bottle of maple syrup out from a cupboard. "Yes, it was the only thing I could think of that was sweet and still an actual meal. I hope you like—"

She trailed off when she turned back around, eyes going wide when she noticed he'd already crossed the small room and had sat himself down at the counter silently, utensils in hand as he stared up at her with an expression of glee she would never have thought possible on a so-called super villain.

"I… hope you like them," she tried again, still processing the fact that he was actually smiling at her— not smirking, or grinning, or leering— as she passed the bottle to his open hand.

_'Megamind is sitting in my kitchen. Eating pancakes I just cooked. In the middle of the night. Happily.'_

"This is really weird."

_'Oops._'

She hadn't meant to say that out loud.

But she had, and he'd heard, and he froze in place mid-bite as those emerald eyes swiveled up to stare at her like a deer caught in head-lights.

Minion took it upon himself to break the silence when it became apparent that neither of them had any intention to do so.

"Perhaps, Miss Ritchi, you would like to go freshen up? You said you hadn't gotten the chance to earlier… We can let ourselves out after Sir's done eating… if that's alright?"

She watched those green orbs dart to the side at the sound of his partner's voice before they turned back to focus on her again, fork-full of dripping pancake still hovering just outside his open mouth.

"Umm… yeah, that… that sounds good. Don't forget your watch on the coffee table." She nodded towards the pair before turning away and shuffling towards the stairs.

_'Way to make things awkward, Roxanne,'_ she berated herself, and she paused when she reached the next landing, a devilish smirk pulling at the corners of her lips.

_You have a really nice laugh._

Well, if they were going to leave things off on an awkward note, she might as well go out with a bang.

"By the way, you have a really nice smile, Megamind!"

A sudden coughing fit was her reply, and she laughed before continuing,

"Very handsome!"

Minion's concerned yelp of "Sir?!" was the last thing she heard before she slipped into her bathroom to shower.

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

They were both gone by the time she meandered back downstairs in nothing but a fluffy robe, and she smiled softly when she saw the stack of clean dishes she'd just dirtied while cooking by the sink. "Honestly," she sighed aloud, shaking her head in amusement, "those two are about as far from evil as they come."

A flash of white caught her eye, and she padded her way over to her coffee table to snatch up the piece of paper that sat there, eyes running over the fanciful script that flowed across the top half of it— _'This changes nothing, Miss Ritchi!' _Signed with his signature M and lightning.

She scoffed, "Typical."

Down at the bottom was another note, this one written in rather childish strokes, and she giggled at the thought of Minion trying to write with those giant mechanical hands— _'Waited until he left. Check waste basket. Don't tell Sir!'_

"Waste basket?" Her brows rose in curiosity, and she pulled the small wicker bin out from beneath the table. Two newly crinkled balls of paper sat wedged between old magazines and newspapers she had recently tossed, and she withdrew them both before smoothing them out across the tabletop. _'I never would have noticed them.'_

They were both in that beautiful italic script she could only assume was Megamind's, and she snorted in amusement when she noticed the chicken-scratch he'd used to cross everything out before he'd thrown them away.

The first simply said _'Thank You, Roxanne -MM'_ and she found herself wishing that he hadn't scribbled over it, because she liked the way he wrote her name.

The second one, however, caused her mind to come to a crashing halt as she stared down at it in shock, rereading it several times just to make sure it actually said what she thought it did. It was written much smaller than the other two notes, like it was supposed to be a whisper, and a few of the letters were near impossible to make out through the ink that covered them, but there was no denying what it.

_'Do you think we could be friends?'_


	7. Chapter 6 : Hope

_Disclaimer : Megamind is not mine_

Just a little companion piece to go along with the last chapter

* * *

Megamind secured his holo-watch around his wrist as he watched Minion finish cleaning off the sticky plate he had just finished, his heart dancing in his chest as Miss Ritchi's last words came to mind once again. _'She thinks I'm handsome when I smiiiile'_ he singsonged to himself, and he couldn't stop himself from fist-pumping the air.

"Sir?" Minion asked, and he quickly dropped his arms when he noticed his friend staring at him with a curious expression— if had eyebrows, one would surely be lifted.

"It's nothing, Minion, just thinking. Are you done?" He pulled his cape up over his shoulders and secured the clasp behind his logo.

"Almost, Sir, just have to do the silverware. Perhaps you should leave a note for Miss Ritchi?" He turned back around in his bowl, a toothy smile splitting his face in two—he could tell his boss was happy.

"A note? Yes, I suppose I could." He searched the room, and spotting a small desk tucked back in a corner littered with paper and pens, he started towards it. "But what would I write?"

Furry shoulders shrugged in response, "She did just cook you dinner, Sir, so perhaps a thank you is in order?"

He hummed in agreement as he sat, and with a flourish wrote _'Thank You' _across the top of the blank page, signing it with a simple _MM_ before tilting his head in thought. "No, no, that won't do, she cooked it to thank me. Thanking her for thanking me is just redundant, Minion!" And he scribbled the words out, crumpled the paper up, and threw it over his shoulder.

_'What to write… Sorry for almost killing you?'_

No, too depressing.

_'I'll try not to let it happen again?'_

Even worse, if she knew he was doing his best to protect her she'd never scream in fear. Perhaps something humorous?

_'It was not a kiss?' _He huffed in amusement, thinking perhaps it could become their own little inside-joke he could torment Metro Man with when he remembered the actual kiss she gave him, and he felt his face heat up.

_'She really doesn't care that I'm an alien, does she?'_ He thought back to when he had first met her, all those years ago, when the young, brazen reporter had barreled up the steps of city hall with a microphone in hand before the caped hero had a chance to cart him off to jail. He'd been just as surprised as Metro Man when she turned the mike towards him after he spewed his typical justice nonsense, and he hadn't even gotten the chance to answer her question—what was it, again? Ah, yes, she asked why he'd chosen to be a villain— because Wayne had decided he was done and took to the skies.

_'She didn't even scream the first time I kidnapped her after that, she just started asking questions as soon as she saw me,' _he smiled at the memories, the pen in his hand long forgotten.

_'She's never treated me differently, not like everyone else. She never ogled and ran or flinched.' _He found himself staring at his uncovered hands again, recalling the soft warmth of her fingers as they slid down his palm. _'She was the one who touched me.'_

He'd resigned himself to so many things as he grew up, shunned by everyone but Minion.

He'd repeated the same thoughts over and over again until they became fact, and he never thought of them again—until now.

No one would ever thank him, no matter what kind service he tried to do.

_'But she did.'_

No one would ever touch him, not when he was so obviously _alien_.

_'But she did.'_

He would never have another friend, for no one would ever take the time of day to try and befriend him.

But he found himself thinking about just how often she laughed and smiled at him and his heart cringed when he suddenly felt himself _hoping_ that maybe, just perhaps, _'Do you think we could be friends?'_

"Sir?"

He jumped at the sudden voice, and turned to find Minion standing at his shoulder, staring down at something with an expression Megamind wasn't quite sure how to explain.

"Minion! What are you…?" His own green eyes turned towards what held the fish's attention, and he saw that last, hopeful thought neatly flowing across the stark white paper beneath his hand. "Oh!" He hadn't even realized he'd written that!

He crossed the words out with a nervous titter before crumpling the paper up, "Nothing to see here, Minion! Just… thinking of what to write!"

He pulled another piece of blank paper toward him and started writing before his partner could say anything, "But there really is nothing to say! Today changes nothing! Nothing at all!"

And then suddenly he was signing the paper with his moniker and striding back across the room to set the note down on the coffee table where he had retrieved his watch.

"There, now— wait!" He darted back to the table, snatching up the crumbled paper from both the desk and the floor, before he shoved them down into a small bin already full of trash. "Ok, there, all done. Are you ready to go, Minion?"

"Yes, Sir. Would you like to take the invisible car back?" He offered, dangling the keys from one hand, "It's in its usual spot. I can take the hover bike, since the cold air won't bother me."

Megamind smiled up at his aquatic companion, and bumped against his shoulder as he snatched the keys from him, "You brilliant bait! What would I do without you? The keys for the bike are still in the ignition. Race you back to Evil Lair on three?" He suggested.

"You're on, Sir!"

"Three!"

They both split, Megamind sprinting towards the door as Minion made a beeline towards the balcony.

But Minion's gait was anything but hurried, and when the apartment door snapped shut behind him he quickly padded back towards the small worktable to grab a pen and carefully scribbled his own little note beneath his Boss's.


End file.
